Supporting impactful community research
Our grants and research awards are designed to seed-fund research projects led by experienced academic researchers and community researchers/service providers collaborating to address gaps in community mental health and addressing community needs, while integrating the insights of people with lived experience into each stage of their project.
Susan Petryk and Jill Bally
Long waits and distance can make specialist care difficult to access for families across Saskatchewan. Co-principal investigators Susan Petryk and Jill Bally are exploring a consultation model that connects children and caregivers with a specialist by video while a nurse practitioner provides support in person, closer to home.
Vivian Tsang and Pamela Kryskow
Ketamine-assisted therapy may offer relief from difficult-to-treat mental health symptoms, but much remains unknown about care after treatment. Co-investigators Vivian Tsang and Pamela Kryskow are examining veterans’ longer-term experiences to understand what may help sustain wellness and guide better aftercare.
Thomas Willman
Suicide-prevention planning requires evidence that reflects the communities and regions it is meant to serve. Thomas Willman is examining Ontario coroner records from 2015 to 2025 to better understand the circumstances associated with suicide among First Nations, Inuit and Métis adults in Northern Ontario.
Amy Ecclestone
How satisfied are people in Canada with the mental health and substance use services they receive? Analyzing MHRC’s national polling, Amy Ecclestone documented differences across service types, symptom severity and income. Her findings highlight gaps in access to care and the need for support that better meets the needs of people facing complex challenges.
Courtney Labrecque
Farmers and ranchers face distinct pressures, and mental health services work best when they reflect agricultural realities. Courtney Labrecque is evaluating SaskAgMatters, a free therapy service for Saskatchewan producers, by gathering therapists’ perspectives on what works, what needs improvement and how the program can evolve.
Alashua Crowley
Inuit mental health workers play a central role in community care across Nunavut, yet recruiting and retaining local staff remains a challenge. Alashua Crowley is working with Nunavut-based organizations to understand Inuit frontline workers’ experiences, strengths and workplace needs, with the goal of informing more supportive and culturally responsive services.
Nikki-Rose Hunter-Porter
Mental wellness services in rural First Nations communities do not always reflect local knowledge, priorities and experiences. Working with St’uxwstews te Secwépemc of Bonaparte First Nation in British Columbia, Nikki-Rose Hunter-Porter explored the social, cultural and systemic barriers shaping access to care and identified community-grounded directions for more culturally safe and responsive services.
Nashit Chowdhury
During the COVID-19 pandemic, racialized essential workers faced overlapping health risks, financial uncertainty and barriers to culturally responsive mental health supports. Nashit Chowdhury combined MHRC national polling data with interviews in Calgary to examine these pressures and the strategies workers used to cope, generating evidence to inform more accessible and inclusive community supports.